Leadership As A Strategy

By: Jennifer DiMottaDate: 04/30/14

My Leadership Background15 Years Building & Leading Teams

Masters in Leadership

My Daughter, The Natural Leader

Why Am I So Passionate About Leadership?

Women Have Come A Long Way To Be At The Top

1890s 1943 1980s

Women Leaders of Today

We Still Have a Long Way To Go to Penetrate the Executive Levels In Retail

But It’s Not Because We Don’t Want To Be At Top; In Fact, It’s Highly Important To Us

However, Women Are Less Interested In C Level Suite Roles & Politics Are A Big Reason

Source: Unlocking the full potential of women in the US economy, April 2011, Joanna Barsh and Lareina Yee

And When Women Are At the Top Along Side Male Executives, Positive Impact Happens

Source: Unlocking the full potential of women in the US economy, April 2011, Joanna Barsh and Lareina Yee

Women Positively Impact Business Results By Applying Leadership Behaviors In 3 Dimensions

Source: Women Matter 2, Oct. 2008, McKinsey

Women’s Leadership Strengths Also Positively Impact the Top Global Trends Impacting Business

Source: Women Matter 2, Oct. 2008, McKinsey

360 Leadership Surveys Show Women On Top of Overall Effectiveness

Source: Why Women Are More Effective Leaders Than Men, Jan. 2014, by Bob Sherwin; Zenger Folkman data

Women Are Not Only Overall More Effective But Also Gain Higher Levels Over Time

Source: Why Women Are More Effective Leaders Than Men, Jan. 2014, by Bob Sherwin; Zenger Folkman data

Part of the Effectiveness Gap Has To Do With Our Desire To Develop Well Into Our 40s & 50s

As Women Get Older, A Higher Percentage Practice Self Development

Source: Why Women Are More Effective Leaders Than Men, Jan. 2014, by Bob Sherwin; Zenger Folkman data

Women Also Score Much Higher On Competencies Required To Attain Leadership Effectiveness

Source: Why Women Are More Effective Leaders Than Men, Jan. 2014, by Bob Sherwin; Zenger Folkman data

Functions Don’t Appear to Change Effectiveness; Women Are Successful In Any Area

Source: Why Women Are More Effective Leaders Than Men, Jan. 2014, by Bob Sherwin; Zenger Folkman data

Male Dominant Functions

Self Development & Strong Leadership EQ Continues To Benefit Their Effectiveness At

The Top

Source: Why Women Are More Effective Leaders Than Men, Jan. 2014, by Bob Sherwin; Zenger Folkman data

Women Are Held Back For Several Reasons #1 - Women Lack Confidence

Women Lack Confidence More from Corporate Factors Than Individual Factors

Women Are Held Back For Several Reasons #2 – We Negatively Correlate Likability & Success

Even though women negatively correlate likability and success, the data shows females do a better job of maintaining the same level of likability as we move towards Top Management.

Women Are Held Back For Several Reasons #3 – Lack of Female Leader Role Models

In the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology found that looking at images of female role models while giving a speech could improve women’s leadership skills. Some of these students looked at Hillary Clinton while giving a speech, and after an audience evaluation, those students rated higher by both the audience as well as themselves.

Women Need a Leadership Strategy First Step: Assess Your Strengths & Weaknesses

1. Document your strengths and weaknesses

2. Take a 360 Leadership Assessment to receive feedback from directs, peers and supervisors.

3. Work with an Executive Coach

My Documented Leadership StrengthsTake Risks/Fail Fast

Strategic Big Thinker

Passionate

Analytical

Accountability

Collaborator

Very Curious

Strategy: Involve Myself In Strategic & Vision Discussions. Support my team and stay out of Tactical Meetings.

My Documented Leadership Weaknesses

Empathy

Listening

Being Too Direct

Sympathy

Emotional Intelligence

“Making the Sausage”

Strategy: Work with an Executive Coach to help me develop these skills.

Coaching Is Hugely Successful In Developing Leadership

Women Need a Leadership StrategySecond Step: Develop SMART Goals

My SMART Goals In Leadership Strategy

S •Improve my Empathy & Connection Skills in the workplace with supervisors, peers and my team.

M •Measure the # of Times per week I Was Empathetic as well as Monthly Feedback from Boss, 3 Peers, and 2 Direct Reports. Put this up on my white board for exposure and report to my Executive Coach.

A •My actions will involve listening and verbally validating of other’s feedback and feelings. My actions will involve silence, withholding judgment, and avoiding internal conversation about a person’s feelings being bad or good.

R •Empathy & Connection will holistically improve my ability to lead the eCommerce & Omnichannel teams to positive P&L performance and team development.

T •I will Improve these skills to the level of acceptance within 2 Years.

Women Need a Leadership StrategyThird Step: Start With Gender Diversity Advocates

Help your company go from Good to Great by employing advocates and great accountability for Gender Diversity.

1. Hands-On Leadership – Male executives need to be a catalyst for change communicating ties between gender diversity, talent and company performance.

2. Diversity Leadership with Clout – Diversity advocates hired across the organization shine a spotlight on the value of gender diversity.

3. Pervasive Sponsorship – Great sponsors develop plans for both women and men with high potential.

4. Robust Talent Management – Adapt existing recruiting, promotion and succession-planning processes to call out performance with regard to gender diversity.

5. Strong Accountability – Set aspirations and goals to target gender diversity in the organization. Develop regular reviews of decisions for promotions and annual reviews.

Women Need a Leadership StrategyFinal Step: Be An Active Role Model For The Next Generation

Final Thoughts: Lean In To Your Femininity

Closing Thought….Be Yourself and No One Else